Red Bull's Mark Webber eager to get his Formula One campaign underway and make amends for last season

Australia's Mark Webber is desperate to get racing after the delay to the
start of the Formula One season, and, having come agonisingly close to
winning the championship last year, is ready to give the title "another
bloody good crack".

Let's get going: Mark Webber is eager to make up for last season and secure his maiden win at Albert Park MelbournePhoto: GETTY IMAGES

Webber, who finished third last year despite topping the leaderboard for much of the season, and his world champion Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel are again expected to be the team to beat when the season gets underway in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday.

Champing at the bit for things to get going, Webber is eager to build on his ninth place finish at Albert Park last year and is confident this weekend poses his best chance of winning on home soil – a feat he is yet to achieve.

"It's time to get racing now," Webber said. "It's nearly April now and we've been working hard since the beginning of January and we haven't even done a competitive lap yet.

"Ready to go racing now, sick of the talk about it. We just need get on the track and see where everyone stacks up when the gloves are off.

"I'm going to have to perform out of my skin to pull off the world championship. But that's how it should be. So yeah, I'm ready to have another bloody good crack at it again.

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"Hopefully we can have a better race this weekend and get the season off to a nice solid start. Personally for me I want to get out there and execute a really clean weekend and hopefully the rest will take care of itself.

"It's human nature that you always want more, and it would be great to put (an Australian Grand Prix win) in amongst a Monaco Grand Prix and a Silverstone (British) Grand Prix.

"It's clear that the Australian Grand Prix is important to me, that's obvious."

It became common knowledge last season that the relationship between the two Red Bull drivers is acrimonious to say the least. Following his 2010 win at Silverstone, Webber's comment that it was "not bad for a No 2 driver" sparked a commotion within the team.

Asked if there remains issues between him and Vettel, Webber said: "We had a good chat after the last race. It was more comfortable for us to talk after the last bell had rung – and to put aside our team bosses. It was just us, as drivers, and that was of use."

Webber insists he has no regrets for speaking his mind back then or more recently when he was the only driver to call for the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix amid riots and political unrest.

He also criticised Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone for his suggestion that the sporadic use of "artificial rain" may increase the thrill of Formula One racing.

"I give my opinion – whether it's about Bahrain or if I'm asked if Lewis Hamilton is going to have a tough season," he said when asked about how frank he can be. "It's hilarious how people hook into you for having an opinion. If you talk to me about my job I'll tell you what's going on because, believe it or not, I f****** well know what I'm talking about.

"But you've got to be very careful because the media is so powerful. My gut says we should take things head-on and deal with the consequences later. Emotionally, I usually go back to my default and say what I feel is right."